Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an injection molding system, and more particularly, to an injection molding system with a device configured to cooperate with an operator.
Description of the Related Art
In some cases, a molded article take-out machine may be disposed together with an injection molding machine in order to take out a molded article or a runner remaining in an opened mold after the molded article is molded in the injection molding machine. The molded article or the runner taken out by the molded article take-out machine is transported thereafter to a work area of an operator by means of the molded article take-out machine itself, molded article transport device, or the like and inspected by the operator. The molded article may sometimes be determined for conformity based on the result of the inspection and separated by a molded article separation means.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-349762 discloses a technique related to a molded article take-out machine mounted on an injection molding machine and configured to take out a molded article when a mold of the molding machine is opened. This molded article take-out machine is provided with a partition means, such as a safety guard, which separates a motion space of the molded article take-out machine from an operating space to be entered by an operator to operate a molding machine control unit lest the two spaces overlap, or otherwise, a buffer area is set in place.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-40626 discloses a technique related to a human collaborative robot system in which a robot and a man share an area for collaborative work. If a detection value of a working device on the distal end of the robot or a force sensor attached to the robot exceeds a predetermined value, in this robot system, the robot is stopped or the motion of the robot is controlled so that the detection value of the force sensor is reduced.
In the prior art technique and the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-349762, it is necessary to provide the safety guard for separating the motion area of the molded article take-out machine or the transport device, such as a conveyor, from the work area of the operator, in order to ensure the safety of the operator, in transporting the molded article or the runner by the molded article take-out machine itself or the transport device. In some cases, therefore, the entire area of an injection molding system may be extended.
Although the human-robot collaborative work is described for the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-40626, there is no disclosure of any specific work for collaboration.
Since the molded article take-out machine normally grips the molded article with a strong force, moreover, it is difficult for the operator to directly receive the molded article gripped by the take-out machine. Thus, in order to perform a visual inspection and confirmation of the molded article directly held by a hand of the operator, the operator is expected to remove the molded article from the conveyor or the like after the molded article is temporarily put on the conveyor or the like by the molded article take-out machine.